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The fact that many scripture passages become very familiar may mean that, in time, we fail to notice just what the passages are and therefore fail to be moved by the message they are conveying. Like all the prophets, Isaiah often feels the need to warn us of the dangers that can lead us astray, but by the same token, he also sees beyond, to how God always wants the best for us and that the best is accessible. The people for whom Matthew’s gospel was written were expecting the end of time to happen soon—within their lifetime. Miracle stories were told in part as a manifestation of the fulfillment of such expectations. The telling of a miracle story is a way for believers to clarify and express their faith, not a way for them to convert outsiders. Each miracle portrays an act of God in Jesus to deliver humans from something posing a threat to authentic life— living as the person who God created them to be. In this, each miracle exposes a separation from God, from our truest selves, and the need for salvation of many kinds: from sickness, thirst, hunger, demonic possession, being without purpose, natural disasters, and of course from sin and death. Finally, each miracle tells us something about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and holds this up to us in a shining, concise narrative. The picture of God wanting to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger is part of that unfolding narrative in the scriptures which sees the Kingdom of God in terms of a great banquet. It links us to the underlying message of this week’s gospel – the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’ – which, in turn, points us to that banquet which we have in the gift of the Eucharist. Jesus withdraws to a deserted place by himself, but the crowds follow him. Jesus has compassion for them and cures the sick among them. Here, he delivers a multitude of humanity from sickness and returns them to their authentic selves—healed and restored to community. This takes a long time. So long that the hour is late and the disciples want to send the crowd off. Jesus surprises them by saying, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ Jesus does not say that he will give them something to eat but tells the disciples “you give them something to eat,” inviting the disciples into this miracle as well, knowing that God provides for human life. It does not matter that these people are poor, desperate, tired, and do not have much to offer in return. The disciples are tasked to give food to everyone, regardless of social status. It is not a transactional relationship. God asks nothing in return. The disciples are like little children who go into the kitchen, open the refrigerator and say, “There’s nothing to eat!” While there is not apparent abundance to the disciples, there is also not nothing. At this point, Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and he focuses on God. He looks up to heaven, where the people of the time believed God dwelled; he blesses and breaks the loaves; and he gives them back to the disciples. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) Then the disciples give the bread and fish to the crowds, where everyone eats their fill, with twelve baskets left over. Jesus calls the disciples—and entrusted them to work together to feed the crowd, and he calls upon us to do the same. We are invited into this miracle story. We are reminded yet again that God provides for human life, and we must respond. How many times have we been given blessed nourishment—salvation of some kind—and not passed it along to people who needed it? Jesus passes the bread on to the crowd, and then the miracle happens. In chapter eight of his letter to the Romans, he does indeed wrestle with the huge challenge of a disordered world, but has no problem in concluding that ultimately Christ will triumph over every problem that presents itself: “neither death nor life, nor angels or rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus is holding the loaves and fishes out to you. Someone is waiting for you to share the blessing, to be invited into the miracle. What will you do?

dark arts

I'm a little late with this one - the entrance happened on April 25th, the feast of St. Mark, in Clyde, MO, at the monastery of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration: "For more than 150 years, the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri, have been woven into the heart of northwest Missouri – and that story continued April 25 when they welcomed a new postulant into the congregation. Vanda entered during a Day Hour prayer service on the Feast of St. Mark, taking a sacred and exciting step on her journey of faith. She will spend the next year to 18 months fully participating in communal life and prayer while developing her personal prayer life, taking classes about monastic life and working in the monastery. She is originally from Minnesota and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. She joins fellow 1980 graduate Benedictine Sister Nancy Rose Gucwa, OSB." That last part intrigued me, so I clicked on the link (in the original story, Sister Nancy Rose Gucwa is hyperlinked), below. It has a couple of interesting stories - one about Sister Nancy Rose, the other about four chaplains who gave up their life jackets to sailors and went down with their ship during World War II (a story I've never heard before). Sister Nancy Rose also draws interesting parallels between military life and religious life. I thought the whole story was interesting and worth sharing. https://benedictinesisters.org/duty-to-god-and-country/

dark chocolate

Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist had 3 perpetual professions. "Congratulations to Sr. Fulton Marie, Sr. Joseph Lucia, and Sr. Catherine Paul on your perpetual profession! We are so grateful you're with us "for all your life!" https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LDmWV7yhk/

This retreat is September 11-13 in St. Petersburg, FL. ################################################################## Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg Calling all single women ages 18-30! Are you seeking to grow deeper in prayer, discover your unique identity as a woman, and learn more about God’s plan for your life? You’re invited to the upcoming Fiat Ministries Discernment Retreat at Saint Leo Abbey! Led by Team Fiat, this retreat brings together young women and consecrated religious sisters from various communities for a weekend of prayer, fellowship, small group discussions and joyful witness. Come encounter Christ and spend time discerning where God may be calling you. Saint Leo Abbey | Saint Leo, FL Cost: $50 Open to single women ages 18-30 Register today by clicking here: https://fiatministries.org/retreat-petersburg/

I'm a parent. Just one. I can't imagine being a grandparent, but watching my and my husband's parents become grandparents has been really special, it's like seeing them in a new way.

Kids, brothers, sisters, co-workers, students, and a whole lot of other people. It makes a clear point while maintaining a modicum of civility.

is that something you've said to your kids before? 😂😅

Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa had a first profession and perpetual profession recently! Gallery of each in the link on their website below. https://www.mariansisters.com/blog/profession-of-vows-photo-gallery

The problem with Catholics (online) who toss around terms like "modernism" is that, in my experience, they can't even define what modernism is 😅 They use it as a "scary" word to condemn whatever liturgical practices or papal statements (post VII) they don't like. It's an amorphous term that can mean whatever they want it to mean. Similar to how some Democrats call everyone they don't like "fascists" Both groups of people use these terms ahistorically

ask AI to summarize

Catholic Women 18-40 discerning religious life? Perhaps God calls you to a Franciscan Charism in this Jubilee Year of St. Francis? Join us for Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Concepcion Medina’s Perpetual Profession on August 2nd at our Wisconsin Motherhouse, Holy Family Convent. https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2026/07/20/invite-to-franciscan-sister-profession/

Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen in Hankison, ND are having a Come and See weekend August 21-23. Link below to their website to register and reach out to their VD, Sr. Mary Ruth. "Do you sometimes wonder: What is it like in a convent? Am I called to religious life? What is the Franciscan charism? Come & See with the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen in Hankinson, North Dakota. Our next weekend experience will be August 21-23, 2026. Visit ndfranciscans.org/vocation-events or contact Sr. Mary Ruth at srmaryruth@sfcretreats.org / (701) 242-7195." " https://ndfranciscans.org/vocation-events.html

Beware false prophets, or wolves in sheep’s clothing

Come and join us on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 for Catholic Young Professionals Executive Speaker Series with Fr. Joachim Studwell, OFM and Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sr. Mary Ann Spanjers, OSF at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church! They will share with us how each of us is called to live the adventure of faith radically and to experience God through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2026/07/23/chicago-ycp-death-becomes-life-st-francis-jubilee-year/ This event falls on the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi, one of the major feasts of the Franciscan tradition. The evening will begin with the celebration of Mass, inviting participants to enter more deeply into the Franciscan spirit before gathering for dinner, fellowship, and an inspiring presentation. The Executive Speaker Series is a free event open to the public in which executives and consecrated religious share their career and faith journeys with young professionals, challenging them to “Work in Witness for Christ.”

“What is your treasure?” In a world where bigger is better, where materialism reigns and fear has gripped so many this question matters enormously. The Old Testament reading tells us that for Solomon the supreme good was a wise and discerning mind. But marvellous as the gift of wisdom is, it is not enough, the New Testament tells us. Much like today, different gods and life philosophies were plentiful in the ancient Roman world. They were like different pearls, available for people to pick and choose which they liked and wanted to keep. In the Gospel according to St Matthew, Jesus continues his teaching on the kingdom of heaven. Matthew collected all these sayings and they unfold before us, one after the other like freshly discovered treasures: When Jesus talks about the ‘kingdom of heaven’ or the ‘kingdom of God’ being like a pearl of great price, he’s referring to the value of the new way of living available through him. The verses given to us in today’s Gospel are emphatic; The kingdom of heaven is like a pearl, like a treasure, like a net full of fish — and the fishermen who heard Jesus, whose very life depended on the catch in their net, understood this value. Everything but everything is as nothing before the great treasure of possessing or belonging to this kingdom. To know the love of God, to know that our God is a God of mercy and justice who cares for the poor and the hungry and the dispossessed is to belong to the kingdom Jesus was proclaiming to those poor Galileans. This is the greatest treasure; he tells them and us. This knowledge of God is so life giving, that in order to possess it, we must be willing to give everything else up — everything! “He went and sold all that he had and bought it. . .” These stories based on the experience of the rural Galileans, of the people who thronged to hear Jesus, made sense to them. St Matthew understands how the kingdom of heaven can change a person. Not only has he given up everything, including riches and security, for the kingdom of heaven but, in attaining it, he is like the head of a household who can welcome others into the kingdom and give its treasures away. The disciples understood these stories, Matthew tells us. When St. Paul writes to the Romans, the same treasure is again brought before another group of listeners and readers. It now takes on the sophistication of an urban mind writing to urban Christians who are already are aware that they are despised and who soon will be persecuted as scapegoats under the rule of the Emperor Nero. We feel weak, we feel afraid. Sometimes, we are so burdened, or so sick and frightened that we are unable to pray, or rather to utter the words. Do not let this stop you, St. Paul tells the Romans and us. It is the Spirit that helps us in our weakness; it is the Spirit that prays for us and with us “with sighs too deep for words.” This is the season of Ordinary Time and St. Paul understood the power and centrality of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian with a clarity and conviction that leave us in awe. It is the Holy Spirit who points us to our treasure and helps us in our desire and search for it. It is the Holy Spirit that intercedes for us. And only through the Holy Spirit are we able to understand the depths and height and power of our treasure — the love of God in Christ. The assurance of St. Paul the great missionary who had found his treasure and never turned aside from it rings through the ages: Be of good cheer, nothing but nothing “can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

dark matter

It's just a little bit ironic that So-called taxpayer funded, reproductive healthcare it's being used to terminate pre-born, healthy human beings. I'm sorry abortion is not the healthcare. It's the exact opposite.

The Sisters of the Little Way are having their first ever vocation event, it will be virtual. Is God calling you to religious life and desire to learn about the life and call of the Sisters of the Little Way? Join us for our first online vocation event Thursday, August, 6th, 2026 from 7 pm - 8 pm ET. Email vocations@sistersofthelittleway.com to register https://www.instagram.com/p/DbHASH8vdWs/

The Sisters of Life just clothed three novices! "On July 19, 2026, our postulants were invested in the religious habit of the Sisters of Life and received their religious names: (L-R) Sr. Gabriella Maria, Sr. Anna Wiktoria, and Sr. Mary Bethany." https://www.instagram.com/p/DbGxtFQFB7x/?img_index=1

"Akin" definition essentially similar, related, or compatible I.E. Reproductive healthcare / anti-abortion "Reproductive healthcare" refers to the comprehensive medical services to promote the health of Human beings, in all health matters, including pre and postnatal life stages This includes diagnosis, and treatment of reproductive health issues, ensuring physical, mental, and social well-being throughout all life stages. "anti abortion" refers to the prevention of the termination of human life.

L3.8 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

None of the above. Just bad cleanliness procedures in industrial food-handling. Expect more. Our food is coming from fewer and fewer sources, farther and farther away, handled by fewer and fewer people but more and more machines; if the fewer people don't keep the more machines clean, then the more food is contaminated.

Franciscan Sisters of Christ the Light (formerly the School Sisters of St. Francis) are having one of their Authentic Femininity retreats, that also act as their initial come and see. Young women ages 18-40yrs old are welcome from Sept 25-27, 2026. Retreat starts at 6pm on Friday and ends after lunch on Sunday around 1:30pm. Event is free, but donations are accepted. https://panhandlefranciscans.org/femininity